Middle East live: Houthis target airport in Yemen as Israel marks October 7 anniversary

Two missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement struck near the international airport in Aden early Wednesday, according to local security officials, though no casualties were reported in the incident.

The strike on the southern port city took place as Israel prepared to observe the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. The airport serves as the primary international aviation hub for regions of Yemen outside the control of the Iran-aligned group.

Yemen's state-run Saba news agency reported that the operation involved both ballistic missiles and unmanned aircraft carrying explosives, attributing the assault to the Houthis. The security department in Aden confirmed that two projectiles had targeted the facility, leaving the surrounding area without documented injuries.

Regional hostilities have simultaneously widened elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. The Saudi-led military alliance active in Yemen announced on Wednesday that its air defenses successfully brought down an incoming ballistic missile over territory north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki confirmed the interception and destruction of the weapon on social media platform X, assigning responsibility to Houthi forces.

The latest aerial barrages follow an escalation of ground fighting across Yemen. Houthi fighters have pushed forward along parts of the Red Sea coast in recent weeks, while government forces backed by Saudi air power have mounted a counteroffensive, regaining territory near the critical Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The renewed violence and wider regional friction also influenced international energy markets. Crude oil benchmarks rose on Wednesday amid mounting concerns over shipping stability in the Strait of Hormuz, where reports indicated an uptick in Iranian actions against commercial tankers.

Prior to the latest price increase, crude benchmarks had dropped below key thresholds—Brent beneath $100 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate below $90—following signs that regional oil exports outside Iran were nearing pre-conflict volumes. However, fresh maritime tensions reversed that downward trend during Asian trading sessions, overshadowing recent market optimism.